The present invention relates to a golf ball having surface markings such as letters and figures. More particularly, the present invention relates to a golf ball which can be produced with the generation of substantially no defective product in the marking operation.
A golf ball usually has on the surface thereof logo marks indicating, for example, a product name and number in one or more colors. Conventional ways of forming such markings include direct printing by a pad printing process, transfer printing in which a stamp presses a transfer film with a solid covering of ink against the ball, and thermal transfer printing which employs a transfer film composed of a base film on which is formed an ink layer bearing the markings to be transferred. What is common to all of these marking methods is the use of printing ink containing organic or inorganic pigments and the application of external pressure.
However, it is difficult to apply a uniform pressure to the surface of a golf ball which, unlike a smooth spherical surface, has numerous irregularities such as dimples densely arranged thereon. In particular, uneven printing and ink bleed occur at the bottoms of the recessed dimples, giving rise to markings which have unclear boundaries.
In the past, to further increase the distance traveled by golf balls, many investigations have been conducted on the hardness, thickness and material composition of each layer at the interior of the ball, resulting in numerous technical disclosures on the internal construction of golf balls. Yet, there is a limit to what such development can achieve. Another important challenge that has emerged recently is how to make the textured patterns of dimples and other features that are formed on the surface of the ball distinctive and, by further increasing the surface coverage thereof, improve the aerodynamic performance of the ball.